Riders on the Storm
by Jamie2012
Summary: With Naraku defeated, a new evil looms on the horizon, but things aren't always as they appear. What changes will come to our (mostly) merry band in the face of this new darkness? Will they find a way to destroy the new enemy, or will they be torn apart in the process?
1. Riders

"In times of darkness, certain beings are called upon to restore the light. I am one of those beings. Technically, I am what you might call a "parasite," but the reality is so much more complex.

My name is Aya. I am a Soul Rider. You know that bit about the pale horse with the pale rider? Well, neither of those is Death— the author of that lovely little tidbit witnessed the early demise of one of our hosts. The "pale horse" was a soul. The "pale rider" was an untapped Soul Rider.

We exist on the mortal plane in mated pairs, attached to matched souls of great power intended to be brought together to correct an imbalance or right a realm destroying wrong. Soul Riders remain with their host soul until called on by the Gods, or "tapped," to take action. It can take many lifetimes for that call to come… Certain milestones must be reached within a single lifetime to prove the soul is ready.

When the Rider is finally tapped, so many things fall into place— starting with the host being drawn into this dream plane to meet their Soul Rider. After that, the Rider gains a physical body and becomes an advisor to their a host will fight the dream plane, fight their calling, causing the Gods to intervene…"

My host decided to interrupt at that moment.

"I didn't fight anything! I'm not ALLOWED to fight— that baka says I'm too weak and won't even let me be trained! I don't—"

I cut her off.

"No, you're not the one fighting this. My mate's host is. His host is your soul's mate. We're tapped at the same time, each pair. I was getting to that part, if you hadn't interrupted!"

I sighed in exasperation as I looked to her again. Her long raven hair glistened in the light. Her hands trembled as her crystal blue eyes misted in rage. I barely managed to clap a hand over her mouth as she opened it to yell.

"Don't. You. Ever. Yell. At. Me. Not here. Not now. Not EVER. Got it? All you'll do is give yourself a headache and I'll turn into the sickest, most sadistic bitch you'll ever meet just to make it worse. So save us both the hell and just don't. Okay? Okay."

Part of that was a bluff, but she didn't know that.

"Aya, that has GOT to be the biggest damned lie I've ever heard you tell!"

My host and I both whipped around to the new voice. Her jaw dropped. A tall golden haired male with bright green eyes was coming toward us.

"Elias!" I shrieked as I ran to him.

After a brief embrace, we returned to my host so I could introduce them.

"Kagome, this is my mate…"

"Elias. It's nice to finally meet you, Kagome," he said with a nod.

"Dammit, what is it with you two and cutting me off?" I grumbled as they both laughed.

After a moment, Kagome sobered. She thought to herself quietly, then looked to Elias with a question.

"If your host is my soulmate and you're here, does that mean he's here somewhere, too?"

Elias snorted.

"Nope. That big son of a bitch is being a horse's ass. The Gods are ready to step in. I was sent to tell you two to clear out."

"Elias, sweetheart… We just got here a little while ago," I whined.

He just stared at me.

"I still have to…"

"You haven't finished explaining things to her, have you?" he mused, cutting me off again. "Dammit Aya… What have they told you about your dramatics?!"

Kagome looked between the two of us, then spoke. "She told me about you guys and that there's something big going to happen, and that we're being called to right some big wrong or something. What else is there?"

He growled. "What else is there? WHAT ELSE IS THERE?! There's a whole shit ton that should have been explained already!"

Elias ran a hand over his face and growled again then stormed off for a moment. When he came back, he stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He rested his head on my shoulder before nipping my ear and looking at Kagome.

"Long story short, Kags… At any time, there are 24 Riders. In your time, only 8 are tapped— 6 that have been tapped across the world by the time you're sent back to the Feudal Era. The last 2 are you and your future mate. None of you are what you appear to be. You are so much more. One way to put it is that you are children of the Gods. That does NOT mean you are demigods, however. You are Chosen. You have been gifted with extraordinary powers and talents—"

"What are…" she tried to ask.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!" Elias growled. "Time here is very limited for you two. Now. Aya will train you. She will advise you. When you leave this dream plane, you will go back through the well to your own time. She will meet you there in her physical body."

He stopped talking and nuzzled the crook of my neck in farewell.

"What about this soulmate you said I'd be meeting… Will you tell me who he is?" Kagome questioned.

"No." he mumbled into my neck.

"What? Why not?!"

"I'm not allowed to, Kags. And don't bother asking Aya, she doesn't know who he is either." Elias told her. "You'll know him, in time. Not sure how long it will take, though… Depends on how long it takes the bastard to accept all this."

As Elias finished speaking, Kagome started to flicker from the dream plane. Once she was gone, a voice boomed around us.

"Way to hint drop, Elias." the voice said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

I stood quietly for a moment, thinking about everything Elias had said and done. As I tensed in his arms, Elias turned my head, meeting my eyes.

"Aw fuck," I growled. "Not him. Are you fucking kidding me?"

My mate smirked, but the voice overhead beat him to speech.

"Yes, Aya. Him. And if you tell her before it's time, I wipe the slate and you start over."

I growled.

"Holy fucking hell. He'll kill her!"

And I blinked from the dream plane.

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a/n: While this is not the first fanfic I've written, it IS the first I've allowed to escape my notebook. Please be gentle... I won't have a regular posting schedule, as I'm one of those weirdos that prefers to write everything out by hand, then type it up. I do have a few chapters written, so the initial setup will come fairly quick... once the rest is typed! After that, Idk. I have a fluffy bastard being a jerk about letting me write his part, right now- meaning he's being difficult. There will be quite a bit where canon characters are OOC, and you're just gonna have to live with it. Sometimes there is no other way to write them. I will have several OC's in play, but most of them are bit parts for appearances only. And the language wont change. If cursing offends you... Suck it up, buttercup. I ain't changin. Not for this story, anyway.


	2. Into the Well

Kagome awoke with a start inside her sleeping bag. Sitting up, she surveyed the campsite. Shippo still slept soundly beside her. Sango was just across the clearing curled around Kilala, with Miroku leaning against a tree not far away. The only one missing was her hanyou friend…

She carefully manouvered out of the sleeping bag so as not to wake her slumbering kit. Stepping softly, Kagome stoked the campfire and made sure everything was ready to fix breakfast later.

"It's almost sunrise," she thought to herself. "Surely he couldn't be far."

Quietly Kagame left camp, following a feeling in her gut. Before long, she came to the edge of another, smaller clearing. Soft voices could be heard from the other side. She couldn't tell who it was, so she decided to go around the clearing, in an attempt to avoid the amorous couple. As she neared the other side of the clearing, one voice stood out. One statement.

"I love you…. Kikyo."

Hearing this, and realizing she found her missing friend, Kagome turned and ran back toward camp, crashing through the underbrush heedless of the noise made.

Reaching camp breathless, eyes misted with unshed tears, she saw Sango and Miroku already awake, tending the morning meal.

Immediately Sango reached for her friend, her sister in arms. Kagome collapsed into her embrace as Miroku looked on, sympathy clearly written in his eyes.

Moments later, Inuyasha crashed through the brush into camp, the undead miko in tow. Seeing his disheveled appearance, Miroku lunged across the clearing, intent on beating some sense into the hanyou. Sango simply glared daggers while clutching her friend's shoulders.

Miroku started to swing at the half-breed's face, but pulled up short when he heard Kagome's calm, cold voice.

"Stop. Just stop." She huffed. "He won't learn from this, won't ever change." She sat up from Sango's shoulder. "I need to go home."

Quiet until this point, Shippo clung to Kagome's shoulder. With a shuddering voice and tears running down his cheeks, the kit begged. "Please don't leave us, mama!"

Pulling the young kitsune around her side, Kagome held him to her chest and kissed the top of his head. She sighed into his hair and mumbled, "I'll never leave you, baby."

Looking into his face, she softly explained.

"I just need some time away from certain individuals. I won't ever leave you. While I'm away, you'll have Sango and Miroku to care for you, and Kaede. And it's close to time for Lord Sesshomaru to leave Rin with Kaede for the harvest and then winter, so you'll have her to play with before long, too!"

"Keh. That bast—"

"Sit."

**THUD**

Sanyo and Miroku started laughing. Kagome looked over to see why, then started laughing, too. Shippo just shook his head. "Idiot…"

Inuyasha hadn't let go of Kikyo's hand. She was unwillingly drawn into his subjugation, landing on top of him in the small crater.

The group finished breakfast in near silence, the only noise being Inuyasha's angry muttering from a nearby tree. After breakfast, they packed up camp and headed back to Edo- they were only about a half day's walk away.

~~~~~ back in Edo~~~~

"Rin really appreciates the time you spend teaching Rin, Lady Kaede. But Rin was wondering if you knew when the others would be back?" the pre-teen bounced slightly while asking.

Kaede chuckled softly. "Calm yeself, child. They will return in the next few days. I have another scroll ye can study while ye wait."

Rin groaned in protest.

"Now stop that," Kaede scolded. "Lord Sesshomaru requested we teach ye while ye are in our care. This is what I know, so this is what ye shall learn from me."

When midday neared, Rin shifted against the wall of the old miko's hut to soak in as much of the day's warmth as she could. As she tried to get comfortable again, a brief flash of color near the edge of the village caught her eye. Sitting up, she recognized the red of Inuyasha's fire rat robes. She watched him run past the village entrance toward the Goshinboku.

Turning back to look where he ran from the trees, Rin saw the woman she respected most in the village.

"Miss Kagome! Miss Kagome! Rin is here!" she shouted, as she started towards the incoming group.

Shippo raced ahead to meet Rin halfway, greeting her with a solemn look.

"Mama needs lots of hugs. We have to give her a reason to stay with us!" he told her quietly before taking her hand and running back to Kagome.

When the kids barreled into her, Kagome gave a half-hearted laugh and just managed to stay on her feet. She gathered them close and pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads, relishing their love and affection. As she released their embrace, Kagome gave the children a smile, but they saw it never reached her eyes.

Sango and Miroku shared a concerned look but said nothing.

Kaede made her way to the quiet group and ushered them towards her hut. They settled into their usual places around the fire pit. After several long moments of tense silence, Kagome abruptly stood, mumbling about the well and going home. She rushed out of the hut followed closely by Sango and Miroku.

Once past the door, Sango grabbed Kagame's shoulder.

"I'll walk with you, Kagome."

Kagome shook her head and kept walking. She almost ran into Miroku when he stepped in front of her.

"Lady Kagome, it will be much safer if we walk with you. Please allow us…" he implored.

Reluctantly, she nodded assent.

The trio headed off to the Bone Eater's Well, Sango on one side of Kagome with an arm around her waist, Miroku on the other side, an arm across her shoulders. Both wished they could relieve some of the burden from their distressed friend.

When they reached the well, Kagome gave each of them a hug.

Miroku held tight to her shoulders and whispered "please come back to us."

Sango gave a similar hug, whispering "we love you."

Kagome stepped back with a small smile and a single tear sliding down her cheek. She wiped the tear away and whispered to them "I'll be back. Just give me some time. I love you both. Take care of the kids for me."

With that, she turned and jumped into the well.

A flash of blue brought Kagome to rest at the bottom of the well, 500 or so years in the future. Climbing up the ladder, she was met by the sight of Aya waiting on the steps inside the well house.

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a/n: I know... Aya's pov was awesome! Unfortunately, the first chapter was the only one that screamed at me from her voice. There may be future chapters from her, but I havent found them yet. She will be a constant in this story, though. She IS our heroine's spiritual advisor, after all! If there are idjit errors, please let me know... I'm far from perfect, and my laptop makes it even more so.

So we're all on the same page, this takes place about 4 years after the original story ends. Kagome is now about 20, Rin is about 13. Shippo has grown with his training and is physically about the size of a small 9-10 year old. (He's still kinda short.) The jewel didn't exactly disappear, but merged with Kagome's soul. That will come into play later.


	3. Sisters?

Aya took in Kagome's pitiful appearance and waved her over to the steps, her green eyes full of sympathy. Kagome sat heavily as Aya stood up. She stepped over to the well then spoke.

"We'll go inside in a moment. I need to take care of something here first."

Turning back to the well, Aya set her hands about an inch above the surface of the ancient wood. When a lavender glow began to shine from her palms, Kagome was curious. When that glow engulfed the well, curiosity turned to fear. When Aya turned from the well, she found herself nose to nose with an angry miko.

Aya raised her hands in a defensive gesture, palms alight with that same lavender glow.

"What. Did. You. Do." Kagome growled.

"Kags, calm down. I simply sealed the well. You don't want that idiot coming here to harass you, do you? Now only 2 others aside from us can pass through the portal. One is Elias. The other doesn't know anything yet," Aya explained.

Kagome visibly relaxed then sat back on the stairs.

"So how do I explain you to my family?" she asked.

"That's already taken care of, Kagome. With some divine assistance, of course."

Kagome looked confused.

"Kagome, I'm your sister," Aya explained. "There's more to it than that, but this side of it will come across better from your mom. Lets go inside so she can tell you."

Both girls left the well house, headed toward the main house. About halfway across the courtyard, Aya stopped Kagome.

"One thing, Kags. Don't ask too many questions. Most of what you're going to want answers to we can't discuss around other people. Clear?"

Kagome nodded.

"Good. I'll explain more later."

Mama Higurashi met them at the door, a worried look in her eyes.

"Oh, good. You've met…" she said, relaxing slightly.

Kagome looked at Aya, who gave the barest of nods, as if to say "go with whatever's in your head."

Returning her gaze to her mother, Kagome said "of course we have, mom. Aya's the new American transfer student at my school! I met her a couple weeks ago."

Mrs. Higurashi looked confused for a moment, then her eyes cleared. "I almost forgot you told me there was a new student in your classes. But there are some things we need to discuss, sweetheart. I think we should go sit… You girls go to the den, I'll bring some tea."

Aya passed by Kagome to walk to the den, whispering quietly "I'll explain that later."

The girls were sitting on the sofa when Mrs. Higurashi came to the den. She nearly dropped the tray she carried at the sight that greeted her. Kagome and Aya were side by side, nearly identical in appearance, discussing "boy problems." The most telling difference between the two were their facial features. Aya's face was narrower, her cheekbones more pronounced, while Kagome's face was slightly rounded. Kagome's eyes were an icy sapphire blue while Aya's were a bright lime green.

The pair stopped talking when Mrs. Higurashi set the tray on the table. Nervously, she poured 3 cups of tea and sat back in her chair. She fidgeted for a moment, ignoring the tea she had just poured. Steeling her resolve, Mrs. Higurashi leaned forward and looked at Kagome.

"My dear daughter… There are so many things I wish I could shield you from. But this… I can't hide from this any longer." She paused for a moment, staring into her teacup. "Kagome, when I was 16 I was raped. I ended up pregnant. My mother wanted me to have an abortion… To preserve our family honor, she said. At that time I felt— and still do— that the true dishonor was in taking an innocent life, regardless of the conditions of conception."

She looked up again, meeting Kagome's eyes. "Your Grandpa agreed with me. He took me to his sister's home in Okinawa. I stayed with her for about 2 years, through the pregnancy and the following depression. Together we found an adoption agency that had a couple waiting to adopt an infant. I met them, we got along, and they stayed in close contact until they had to move. He was a US Marine. His Japanese wife was barren. About 3 months after the baby was born, he was recalled to the US. I didn't hear from them again until about a month ago."

Mrs. Higurashi clenched her fists tightly. She looked down and cleared her throat. Kagome looked at her mother expectantly.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up again. "Kagome, Aya is your half sister. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner." With tears in her eyes, she looked at Aya. "I wish we could have known you as you grew up." Mama Higurashi broke into sobs as Kagome and Aya both came to comfort her. Kagome held her mother's crying form, whispering soothing words, while Aya rubbed her back. Aya looked a bit sheepish as Kagome peered at her over her mother's head, eyebrow raised.

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a/n: Yes, this one is a tiny bit shorter than the first two... There's a reason for that- had to find a stopping point before we bounce back in time! Dont worry, this slow moving tale will find some excitement soon. Ok, maybe it's only exciting to me, because I had some fun writing it. We shall see!


	4. Enter the Gods

Sesshomaru left Rin in the care of the old miko with the reassurance that the younger miko would soon return. He was headed east, to deal with a disturbance he'd heard of near his border.

When Jaken's constant overly loud praise began to grate on Sesshomaru's nerves, he turned to silence the kappa in the most entertaining way possible— a boot to the face. Before his foot left the ground, the Inu was surprised by the sudden appearance of a lone male at Ah-Un's flank. As Sesshomaru moved to attack, the male disappeared.

Sesshomaru looked around warily. He attempted to track the male by scent, but was startled to find there was none. It was almost as if the male was a figment of his imagination.

Jaken stood frozen, his beak-like mouth hanging open in shock. He watched helplessly as the strange looking male moved faster than his lord's attack.

Sesshomaru growled in frustration then turned to continue his eastward trek. As soon as he turned, the male appeared in front of him. Before he could think to attack, the strange male moved close and with a glowing hand, flicked the powerful Daiyokai between the eyes. Jaken squawked as he watched the yokai lord slump to the ground from such a simple gesture. He trembled in fear when he realized he'd drawn the attention of a being that had just taken down the Lord of the West with a simple touch.

"Little kappa," the male intoned.

Jaken squeezed his eyes closed tight and didn't answer.

"Why are you afraid of me, little one?" the male asked, kneeling in front of the unmoving toad.

"You— you're not going to kill me?" Jaken squeaked.

The male laughed. "Why would you think such a thing, little kappa?"

Jaken's eyes slid toward the prone form of the big Inu then back to the strange male kneeling in front of him.

The male laughed again. "Little kappa, he's not dead. He's merely been sent, in spirit only, to another plane. I need you to take his body back to the village of the Shikon Miko. His slumbering form is to be tended by his human daughter until the miko returns."

He then moved away from Jaken, drawing Ah-Un behind him toward Sesshomaru's body. As the male moved to lift the unconscious daiyokai, Jaken squeaked then ran to stop him.

"Stop! Do not touch my lord!" Jaken squealed as he ran to intercept the bold male reaching for Sesshomaru's still body.

"Silence, little kappa," the male growled. "I was sent by Tsukiyomi. Surely you realize who I am, that I was able to subdue a warrior such as this with only a touch?"

Jaken froze at the mention of the moon god. He stood, staring at the still unrecognized male before him.

"Silly little kappa…" the male sighed, exasperation evident in his tone. "I am Bishamon, god of fortunate warriors. I was sent by Tsukiyomi to the strongest warrior of the House of the Moon. He is being called to his destiny. At this time, his soul is between realms where he is learning his part in future events. He will awaken when he accepts his fate. Until then, Amaterasu has charged Sesshomaru's daughter, his human ward Rin, with the care of his body. When the Shikon Miko returns from her home, he should be awake and ready to undertake the tasks set before him."

With that, Bishamon stepped around Jaken and lifted Sesshomaru's body to Ah-Un's back.

"Come, little kappa. We return to Edo village." Bishamon stilled, closing his eyes and fell silent for a few moments. When he opened his eyes again, he continued. "Young Rin has been made aware of her task. She is currently arranging a suitable space with the aid of the elder miko. Let us return."

~~~~~~ Meanwhile, in the dream plane… ~~~~~

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and sat up with a growl. He looked around and saw… nothing. All that could be seen was a vast expanse of white. As Sesshomaru got to his feet, he heard a masculine voice.

"Oh, good. You're awake, though the term "awake" may not quite fit."

Sesshomaru growled again.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he spit between clenched teeth.

"You're in a dream plane, Lord of the West. Between the realm of the living and the dead," the voice responded. "While you're here, your body is being tended as the gods have requested."

Sesshomaru continued to growl menacingly. His claws dripped with poison as he looked around, searching for the source of the voice.

"You fail to tell this Sesshomaru who you are."

Finally, he saw the figure of a male in the distance. The male was tall and lean, with shining silver hair and eyes the same shade. His appearance was, in fact, very similar to the angry Daiyokai.

Sesshomaru darted toward the figure and slashed at it with his claws. Most definitely male— but he couldn't tell if it was yokai or human. The body quickly faded from sight.

Sesshomaru turned when he heard a rustle directly behind him. It was the same figure he had just struck down with poison claws. The being thumped him between the eyes, leaving the Daiyokai frozen but aware.

"You didn't honestly think I'd die that easily, did you?" he asked incredulously. He saw shock register in Sesshomaru's eyes.

"Oh, you did!" the being continued, laughing. "Maybe I should introduce myself, young pup."

Sesshomaru glared.

The being laughed louder. "Stop your glaring, pup. It will get you nowhere fast. I am Tsukiyomi no Mikoto."

At this revelation, a multitude of emotions crossed Sesshomaru's eyes, the most prominent being disbelief.

"So you don't believe me, pup? By the time you leave here, you will," Tsukiyomi said, a hard edge to his voice. "I sent Bishamon to fetch you in the forest. Your kappa retainer defended you valiantly."

Slight sorrow crossed Sesshomaru's eyes at the thought of the annoying toad's death.

"Stop that, foolish whelp," Tsukiyomi commanded. "The kappa lives. He's assisting Bishamon take your body to be tended as demanded by my sister."

Sesshomaru looked relieved then confused.

Tsukiyomi, getting frustrated by the one-sided conversation, thumped Sesshomaru between the eyes again.

"Speak your mind, boy."

Sesshomaru growled then lunged at Tsukiyomi.

Tsukiyomi sidestepped and waited for Sesshomaru to turn. He thumped Sesshomaru between the eyes again, freezing him in place.

"Seriously. I tell you I'm a god and you still think you can effectively attack me? Do you even think these things through? At least when your soul's mate was called here, she listened! She didn't attack, she asked questions. She allowed her spiritual advisor to answer those questions and even give proof… Why cant you be more like that?" Tsukiyomi asked, exasperated.

Tsukiyomi walked a short distance from Sesshomaru's frozen form then disappeared, leaving the dream plane.

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a/n: Exciting, no? Maybe I'm just easily amused... Yes, Japanese deities are coming out as OC's! There is a purpose behind the ones I chose to use... And I do have some "educational" tidbits regarding them, and those bits are copied from Wikipedia because I'm too lazy to reword things. Again, some of them will only be in the story for small bits, some have larger roles.

So far, I've mentioned:

Amaterasu-Ō-Mi-Kami Commonly called Amaterasu, she is the goddess of the sun as well as the purported ancestress of the Imperial Household of Japan. Her full name means "Great Goddess" or "Great Spirit Who Shines in the Heavens"; she may also be referred to as Ōhiru-menomuchi-no-kami. For many reasons, one among them being her ties to the Imperial family, she is often considered (though not officially) to be the "primary god" of Shinto.

Tsukuyomi no Mikoto Also known as Tsukiyomi, Tsuki no Kami, Tsukiyomino Mikoto, and Tsukiyumi no Mikoto, he is the god of the moon. He killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi, out of disgust and anger in the way she had prepared a meal. This caused Amaterasu to never face him again, causing the sun and moon to be in different parts of the sky.

(According to everything I've read, those two most certainly do NOT get along... However, for the purpose of my story, they will cooperate.)

Bishamonten Also called Bishamon or Tamonten, he is the god of fortunate warriors and guards, as well as the punisher of criminals. Said to live halfway down the side of Mount Sumeru, the small pagoda he carries symbolizes the divine treasure house that he both guards and gives away its contents.


	5. Difficulties

Jaken led Ah-Un and Bishamon through Inuyasha's Forest towards Edo. As they neared the edge of the forest closest to the village, a red blur streaked through the trees toward them.

Inuyasha skidded to a stop near Jaken and scowled, sword drawn.

"Oi, toad! What's wrong with the ice prick? Why'd ya bring the bastard here?" he asked.

Bishamon responded. "It is what we were charged to do by Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, youngest son of Inu no Taisho."

As Bishamon finished speaking, Tsukuyomi walked out of the woods to stand beside him.

"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

"I am Tsukuyomi, son of Inu no Taisho. Be respectful and watch your tongue."

Bishamon just stared at Tsukuyomi, trying to hold his laughter.

Tsukuyomi glared at the warrior god. "Seriously, you're going to laugh at me? Now?"

Bishamon lost the fight against his laughter. As he caught his breath he looked to the still glaring Tsukuyomi.

"You were warned this one would be a complete pain in the ass!"

Inuyasha looked between the two celestial beings. At Bishamon's statement, he relaxed and put away Tessaiga, chuckling a bit himself.

"Rin and Kaede said he'd be back soon, but they didn't say how, " Inuyasha told them. "Come on, I'll take you to the hut Rin insisted be set up for him. I guess it kinda makes sense, now…"

The group walked on in silence. When they arrived, Inuyasha helped Bishamon carry Sesshomaru inside and set him where Rin instructed. Tsukuyomi quietly took his leave.

As they walked back outside Inuyasha tapped Bishamon's shoulder.

"Don't suppose you can tell me what the hell is going on, can ya?"

"All I can tell you is that he's being called to accept his fate," Bishamon replied. "He should be awake by the time the Shikon Miko returns."

With that, Bishamon headed to the edge of the forest and disappeared.

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Eventually, Tsukuyomi and Bishamon returned to the dream plane. Sesshomaru snarled when he saw them. Bishamon laughed.

"Elder son of Inu no Taisho," Tsukuyomi began in a formal tone. "You are being called to fulfill your destiny. Whether you accept it or not, certain events WILL come to pass. These events will shape the future for all beings of the world you come from. Should you accept willingly what is being written by the fates, you and your soul's mate will play a vital role in transforming the world to be."

Tsukuyomi stood in front of Sesshomaru, mere inches away from the daiyokai's face. "Should you decline or fight against this in any way, you will be stripped of your power, your title, your lands, quite possibly even your life. Your soul's mate will continue to attempt what would take both of you to accomplish, and she will fail. Without you beside her, uncompromising, she will be utterly destroyed— her current being as well as the immortal soul that inhabits her recent body. She will never be able to be born to another life, nor will you. You would be incomplete without her."

Sesshomaru snarled again. "No one tells this Sesshomaru what to do!"

Bishamon quietly approached the pair. He was hesitant to break the battle of wills between the two powerful males. Finally, he cleared his throat. Tsukuyomi glanced at him before turning his eyes back to the cold, stubborn Inu.

"Tsukuyomi, I don't understand how such an arrogant, prideful, pigheaded, foolish being could have ever gained the favor of so many gods and goddesses. Perhaps we should show him the potentials…" Bishamon stated as Sesshomaru growled. Tsukuyomi silenced him with a tap to the brow.

The moon god turned toward Bishamon and started to walk away. Unseen by Sesshomaru, he smirked then winked at Bishamon.

"I'm done trying to sway this fool. His half-breed brother shows more honor. Perhaps he should be the one to wear the mark of my favor…" Tsukuyomi half turned back to Sesshomaru. "You realize that's what it is, correct? The crescent moon on your brow?"

The image of the hut in Edo appeared in front of Sesshomaru. Rin's voice could be heard inside as she cried out in panic, before she ran out the door.

"Lady Kaede! Come quick!" her voice faded in the distance.

Kaede, Rin, and Miroku rushed into the hut. The rest of the group followed close behind. Inuyasha paused at the door and turned toward the forest. Sesshomaru could see an indigo crescent on his forehead.

As the image faded, Tsukuyomi turned toward Sesshomaru. "I wash my hands of one so selfish. You're my sister's problem, now."

Tsukuyomi and Bishamon disappeared from the dream plane, leaving the psychically bound, physically unchanged daiyokai to think of what could be.

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The two gods appeared at the edge of the village and walked around to the hut that had been set aside for Rin. There they met the goddess Inari who was helping the girl tend to Sesshomaru's body. As soon as she saw the approaching males, she strode toward them. Taking Tsukuyomi by the arm, Inari dragged him to the edge of the forest, Bishamon following close behind.

"What in seven hells did you two do?! His body was convulsing! The humans were in a panic!" she scolded.

Bishamon had the sense to look down, shamed. Tsukuyomi glared at Inari.

"I did what I had to." he barked.

Inari smacked the back of his head. "That isn't an answer!" she yelled.

Bishamon spoke up then. "He shocked the Inu with truth, should he deny his destiny. Tsukuyomi then showed a false image, probably about the time he would have gone into convulsions." He looked to Inari. "The girl, Rin, was upset and ran for the elder miko. They returned with the hanyou and his companions. When the hanyou stopped at the door, Tsukuyomi manipulated the sight to show the elder Inu's crescent mark on the hanyou's face."

Tsukuyomi turned his fiery gaze to Bishamon. Inari just nodded.

"Do you think that will be enough of a push to make him accept?" she asked.

Tsukuyomi's eyes lost their fire and he looked down. "Most likely not, but we have to hope it will work."

Inari turned and went back to the hut followed by the other two. When they reached the hut, she moved to enter but was pushed back by Rin coming out.

The young girl walked past Inari and looked at the two gods with tears in her eyes.

"Will he be alright? Will my father awaken soon?" she asked.

When she saw the smile on Tsukuyomi's face, Rin realized what she'd called Sesshomaru…

The moon god rested a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm not sure when he'll wake up sweetheart, but I can tell you he will. He has to accept what is to come, then he'll come back to you. That I promise, dear child."

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a/n: Whoa... A third chapter today? Y'all are gonna get spoiled with all this... I really must not have anything else to do. Kidding. I'm just eager to get more of the story posted for you lovelies! At some point, incoming chapters will slow down. Don't be disappointed when that happens, I dont intend to stop writing until this thing is done! There is still too much floating in my head, as far as future events go. Btw, I'm doing all my own editing and such, so if you see something that should be corrected, please feel free to shoot me a message so I can get on it. :)

And on with the "educational" stuff: This chapter introduced the goddess Inari.

**Inari Ōkami** is the Japanese _kami_ of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants.

By the 16th century Inari had become the patron of blacksmiths and the protector of warriors, and worship of Inari spread across Japan in the Edo period.


	6. Explainations

Jaken led Ah-Un and Bishamon through Inuyasha's Forest towards Edo. As they neared the edge of the forest closest to the village, a red blur streaked through the trees toward them.

Inuyasha skidded to a stop near Jaken and scowled, sword drawn.

"Oi, toad! What's wrong with the ice prick? Why'd ya bring the bastard here?" he asked.

Bishamon responded. "It is what we were charged to do by Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, youngest son of Inu no Taisho."

As Bishamon finished speaking, Tsukuyomi walked out of the woods to stand beside him.

"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

"I am Tsukuyomi, son of Inu no Taisho. Be respectful and watch your tongue."

Bishamon just stared at Tsukuyomi, trying to hold his laughter.

Tsukuyomi glared at the warrior god. "Seriously, you're going to laugh at me? Now?"

Bishamon lost the fight against his laughter. As he caught his breath he looked to the still glaring Tsukuyomi.

"You were warned this one would be a complete pain in the ass!"

Inuyasha looked between the two celestial beings. At Bishamon's statement, he relaxed and put away Tessaiga, chuckling a bit himself.

"Rin and Kaede said he'd be back soon, but they didn't say how, " Inuyasha told them. "Come on, I'll take you to the hut Rin insisted be set up for him. I guess it kinda makes sense, now…"

The group walked on in silence. When they arrived, Inuyasha helped Bishamon carry Sesshomaru inside and set him where Rin instructed. Tsukuyomi quietly took his leave.

As they walked back outside Inuyasha tapped Bishamon's shoulder.

"Don't suppose you can tell me what the hell is going on, can ya?"

"All I can tell you is that he's being called to accept his fate," Bishamon replied. "He should be awake by the time the Shikon Miko returns."

With that, Bishamon headed to the edge of the forest and disappeared.

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Eventually, Tsukuyomi and Bishamon returned to the dream plane. Sesshomaru snarled when he saw them. Bishamon laughed.

"Elder son of Inu no Taisho," Tsukuyomi began in a formal tone. "You are being called to fulfill your destiny. Whether you accept it or not, certain events WILL come to pass. These events will shape the future for all beings of the world you come from. Should you accept willingly what is being written by the fates, you and your soul's mate will play a vital role in transforming the world to be."

Tsukuyomi stood in front of Sesshomaru, mere inches away from the daiyokai's face. "Should you decline or fight against this in any way, you will be stripped of your power, your title, your lands, quite possibly even your life. Your soul's mate will continue to attempt what would take both of you to accomplish, and she will fail. Without you beside her, uncompromising, she will be utterly destroyed— her current being as well as the immortal soul that inhabits her recent body. She will never be able to be born to another life, nor will you. You would be incomplete without her."

Sesshomaru snarled again. "No one tells this Sesshomaru what to do!"

Bishamon quietly approached the pair. He was hesitant to break the battle of wills between the two powerful males. Finally, he cleared his throat. Tsukuyomi glanced at him before turning his eyes back to the cold, stubborn Inu.

"Tsukuyomi, I don't understand how such an arrogant, prideful, pigheaded, foolish being could have ever gained the favor of so many gods and goddesses. Perhaps we should show him the potentials…" Bishamon stated as Sesshomaru growled. Tsukuyomi silenced him with a tap to the brow.

The moon god turned toward Bishamon and started to walk away. Unseen by Sesshomaru, he smirked then winked at Bishamon.

"I'm done trying to sway this fool. His half-breed brother shows more honor. Perhaps he should be the one to wear the mark of my favor…" Tsukuyomi half turned back to Sesshomaru. "You realize that's what it is, correct? The crescent moon on your brow?"

The image of the hut in Edo appeared in front of Sesshomaru. Rin's voice could be heard inside as she cried out in panic, before she ran out the door.

"Lady Kaede! Come quick!" her voice faded in the distance.

Kaede, Rin, and Miroku rushed into the hut. The rest of the group followed close behind. Inuyasha paused at the door and turned toward the forest. Sesshomaru could see an indigo crescent on his forehead.

As the image faded, Tsukuyomi turned toward Sesshomaru. "I wash my hands of one so selfish. You're my sister's problem, now."

Tsukuyomi and Bishamon disappeared from the dream plane, leaving the psychically bound, physically unchanged daiyokai to think of what could be.

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The two gods appeared at the edge of the village and walked around to the hut that had been set aside for Rin. There they met the goddess Inari who was helping the girl tend to Sesshomaru's body. As soon as she saw the approaching males, she strode toward them. Taking Tsukuyomi by the arm, Inari dragged him to the edge of the forest, Bishamon following close behind.

"What in seven hells did you two do?! His body was convulsing! The humans were in a panic!" she scolded.

Bishamon had the sense to look down, shamed. Tsukuyomi glared at Inari.

"I did what I had to." he barked.

Inari smacked the back of his head. "That isn't an answer!" she yelled.

Bishamon spoke up then. "He shocked the Inu with truth, should he deny his destiny. Tsukuyomi then showed a false image, probably about the time he would have gone into convulsions." He looked to Inari. "The girl, Rin, was upset and ran for the elder miko. They returned with the hanyou and his companions. When the hanyou stopped at the door, Tsukuyomi manipulated the sight to show the elder Inu's crescent mark on the hanyou's face."

Tsukuyomi turned his fiery gaze to Bishamon. Inari just nodded.

"Do you think that will be enough of a push to make him accept?" she asked.

Tsukuyomi's eyes lost their fire and he looked down. "Most likely not, but we have to hope it will work."

Inari turned and went back to the hut followed by the other two. When they reached the hut, she moved to enter but was pushed back by Rin coming out.

The young girl walked past Inari and looked at the two gods with tears in her eyes.

"Will he be alright? Will my father awaken soon?" she asked.

When she saw the smile on Tsukuyomi's face, Rin realized what she'd called Sesshomaru…

The moon god rested a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm not sure when he'll wake up sweetheart, but I can tell you he will. He has to accept what is to come, then he'll come back to you. That I promise, dear child."

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a/n: Whoa... A third chapter today? Y'all are gonna get spoiled with all this... I really must not have anything else to do. Kidding. I'm just eager to get more of the story posted for you lovelies! At some point, incoming chapters will slow down. Don't be disappointed when that happens, I dont intend to stop writing until this thing is done! There is still too much floating in my head, as far as future events go. Btw, I'm doing all my own editing and such, so if you see something that should be corrected, please feel free to shoot me a message so I can get on it. :)

And on with the "educational" stuff: This chapter introduced the goddess Inari.

**Inari Ōkami** is the Japanese _kami_ of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants.

By the 16th century Inari had become the patron of blacksmiths and the protector of warriors, and worship of Inari spread across Japan in the Edo period.


	7. Wait, what?

Kagome saw a male walk out of the house they had stopped in front of. He approached slowly, letting Aya finish what she was saying. Kagome fidgeted slightly, eyeing the approaching male warily. He appeared to be in his mid to late 40's, about 6ft tall, with strawberry blond hair in a close cut military style. His presence was intimidating and he was clearly still in active physical training daily. His face was a mask of cold indifference.

Kagome shifted back slightly, drawing Aya's attention.

"Uh… Aya… I think—" Kagome stammered.

The male stopped beside Aya and draped an arm over her shoulders.

Aya turned to him and smiled. "Hi, Mike."

The male's eyes didn't leave Kagome.

"You doubt my abilities, Miko?" he asked in a deep baritone, one strawberry blond brow raised.

Kagome's eyes went wide as she looked to Aya. "I thought you said he was kitsune?!" she squeaked.

Aya elbowed him in the ribs.

The male started laughing and turned to walk back to the house. "Who the hell did you think I was, the Western Lord, old icicle ass himself?"

At that comment a woman who appeared to be in her mid 40's with short black hair and chocolate brown eyes peeked out the door.

"Mike, be respectful. And bring the girls inside. We need to introduce them and iron out a training schedule," she said with a grin.

Kagome looked at Aya, her eyes still wide. "She looked familiar…"

Mike laughed even more as he led them into the house. "I would think so. Mio's family is from here. Her sisters came back to the Tokyo area when we left Okinawa."

He took the girls into the living room where Mio and a few others were sitting. Aya looked around the room then froze. She grabbed Kagome's arm, halting her in the doorway. Kagome squeaked in surprise.

"He's not supposed to be here," as she looked from Mike to Mio, then to the other non-human male. "You're not supposed to be here."

The male in question stood. He was a little taller than Mike, pale skinned with golden hair and bright green eyes. He approached Aya and Kagome, his eyes glued to Aya.

When he was close enough, he whispered to them, "the gods needed a full intervention. I was sent to help you train."

Aya just looked at him. "That's not how it's supposed to work." she growled.

He gently touched her cheek. "Aya… Do you not trust them to have this fully under control?"

Aya looked down. Kagome took the momentary silence to look to the others in the room.

Mio was closest to the trio. She stepped over, concerned.

"Is everything ok?" she asked quietly.

"May we borrow a space to talk privately with Elias for a moment?" Kagome asked.

Mio nodded and led the three to a study down the hall. Before she closed the door, she turned and spoke softly.

"One of my sisters is a miko. She put a sound barrier on this room so important matters could be discussed without curious ears listening in. My mate isn't one to pry, but you never know who could be standing outside. Feel free to join us in the living room whenever you're ready."

Once the door was closed, Aya pounced on Elias.

"What the hell is going on? Don't tell me he's fighting it that hard… Is he?" she demanded.

"He is. Amaterasu sent me to help you train and to bring in additional resources. Before Kagome returns, I'll be sent for," he replied.

Kagome looked between the two Soul Riders, confused.

"Who's fighting what? And what additional resources? What's going on?" she questioned.

"Your soul's mate, Kagome. What you accepted quickly, he fights tooth and nail. And the resources will be made known in due time," Elias answered as he winked at Aya.

"Kags, we're still not allowed to tell you who he is. Even if things have changed," Aya told her. She turned back to Elias. "Still doesn't explain why you're here instead of helping with him."

Elias sighed in exasperation. "Aya, Amaterasu sent me here. She and the others have things handled for now… But Kagome's training will need to be more thorough, thus my presence and the additional resources."

Kagome was frustrated and confused. "Then let's go get this training crap done," she grumbled, opening the door.

The three went back to the living room where Mike, Mio, and 5 other males were waiting. Mike looked at the three returning figures.

"We all good, now?" he asked them.

"You know it, Mike. " Aya said.

"Good. Kagome, Aya says you need to be battle ready in a short time frame. True?" Mike asked.

Kagome just nodded.

"Okay, then. We'll need to get the ball rolling ASAP. I don't know about combat training here, but I do know American military training. These 5 seated here are among the best I had the pleasure of working with, stateside." Mike told them. "Introductions." He pointed to the nearest of the males.

He nodded to her. "Paul Reede, US Marines." He was about Mike's height with dusty brown hair in a military crew cut and pale blue eyes.

Mike waved to the next man. "Daniel Lee, first sergeant, US Marines." Daniel was a little shorter with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

They turned to the next man. "David Gregory, US Army." David stood about 5ft 6in with blond hair and blue eyes.

The next man spoke as soon as David was finished.

"Brigadier General James West, US Army. It's a pleasure to be of assistance, ma'am," he drawled. James was about 6ft with black hair and brown eyes.

The last man stood before he spoke. He was about 6ft 2in with light brown hair and green eyes.

"Lieutenant John White, US Marines. I'm curious, and I'm sure everyone else here is too. Why does a little slip of a girl need to be combat trained in less time than some of our hardiest recruits?"

Paul started to react to the questioning but Mike beat him to it.

"Stand down, lieutenant. That line of questioning is above your station," Mike barked out.

Yes sir, General, sir," John responded immediately.

As the room grew tense, Aya spoke.

"Mike, Kagome is a trained archer already… Pretty sure what she needs is more in the area of close range and strategy."

David was first to respond.

"Young lady, we'll teach y'all everything we can, but it would be nice to know why we're training up two pretty little girls like yourselves to be killing machines," here he pointed to Elias. "That one is more like we're used to training."

Elias fought back a growl as David spoke. Kagome didn't.

"You don't have to be so condescending! If you don't want to help us, then say so," she huffed."Endurance, strength, skill, power. That's what your military is known for… And now I know it for arrogance, pride, and rudeness too." She leveled the Americans a stony glare. "Good day, gentlemen. I should have known Americans would have no concept of honor in a situation such as this." She turned to Mike and Mio. "Thank you both for your generosity and allowing me to meet my sister. I hope to get to know you both more, while I'm here in Tokyo!"

Kagome quickly walked from the room. Aya and Elias shared a look, then followed after. They found Kagome just outside the door— out of sight and hearing for the humans. She pulled them to the wall away from the door with a finger to her lips, motioning for silence. They heard Mike start to berate the other military men while still others could be heard moving around the room.

A moment later two of the Americans, Paul and Daniel, came into the hallway, clearly attempting to catch the three who just left. The men stopped in surprise when they saw Kagome giving them a bright smile, one finger still over her lips. She waved them closer then whispered to Aya "study."

Elias led Kagome and the two men to the study they were shown earlier while Aya went back to the living room. Kagome barely heard Aya call out before she turned into the study.

"Hey Mike… Can you come here a moment?"

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a/n: Don't nobody go trying to gather a lynch mob over how some of this is written, now... I mean no disrespect to military folk, and I willingly admit I dont know how some interactions would take place. I do know how it all played out in my head, and I actually did quite a bit of editing to try to make it more fitting. And yes, all of my Soul Riders that will be encountered at any point in the story will have the same bright green eyes. It's an identifying characteristic that doesnt stand out too much and other Riders and their Hosts will know.

That said, this is the last I have actually written. It may take me a day or three to get more down, but there will most definitely be more coming.


	8. Stubborn Dogs

Sesshomaru sat in silence for quite some time. Since it was all he was able to do, he thought. Those thoughts ranged from curiosity at the idea of his soul mate— who could she be, what kind of power would she wield, what breed of demoness was she…— to rage at his continued confinement, and even sorrow over time he had lost with his adoptive daughter.

He wasn't sure when the sun goddess returned, and he didn't really care. She was one of those keeping him captive. The surly daiyokai actively ignored her presence.

Amaterasu watched on in amusement as he continued to ignore her. He had actually put so much effort into ignoring her that he'd failed to notice the presence of another being— not a god. They watched him for a few more moments before she nodded to the other being.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened in shock then narrowed in anger when his father stepped in front of him.

Touga's eyes glittered with mirth at the emotions that played across his eldest son's face.

"Tell me, son. Have you found someone to protect?"

Sesshomaru glared at him.

The elder Inu laughed loudly.

"My dear son…" he began. "I've heard of the child you rescued. She is worth protecting, is she not?"

Sesshomaru looked down then nodded once.

"Then why do you fight so?" Touga continued. "The world is coming to a time of change. Yours is one of the great powers that could decide what direction this change will flow. Protect the child. Protect your mate. Accept what the gods charge you to do. There is great honor in this fate, my son."

Sesshomaru looked to Amaterasu. Seeing the questions in his eyes, she reached over and tapped his nose.

"Speak your mind, Lord of the West."

Sesshomaru looked between the goddess and his father.

"What is this great destiny? What is it you say I must do, and how will it affect my ward?" he asked.

Amaterasu hesitated. Touga spoke before she could— he had already been told what was coming.

"You will know when the time is right, son. You must accept what will be without forewarning," he said.

Amaterasu spoke when Touga stopped.

"When you have accepted this, your Soul Rider will be recalled from aiding in your future mate's training. He will tell you more as things come to pass. He will also train with you and help gather necessary resources.

Sesshomaru grumbled in frustration.

"This Sesshomaru has no choice in the matter of mating the unknown female, it seems."

"Indeed son, you do not get a choice," Touga told him. "The female is worthy, I assure you."

Sesshomaru ignored his father, keeping his attention on the sun goddess.

"What is a Soul Rider?" he finally asked. "This Sesshomaru has not heard the term before."

Amaterasu thought quietly for a moment, then sent a silent call to her brother. In a moment, Tsukuyomi joined the small group.

"Brother, dear…" she started. "Do you remember how the other Rider described herself to the female Chosen?"

Tsukuyomi stared at her blankly.

"You didn't start observing until we sent Elias in, did you?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Idiot…" she muttered, one hand over her face.

The sun goddess looked at Sesshomaru again.

"The Soul Rider is a being called to serve the gods and assist in a time of great need. The being is attached to a soul which holds great potential, as directed by myself or my brother," she explained. The soul goes through many lifetimes with the dormant Rider observing from within. When certain events take place, it marks a changing of times."

Tsukuyomi took over the explanation. "At the changing of times, a Rider is called from their dormant state along with their mate to watch for specific milestones in the lifetimes of their Chosen. Once those milestones are reached, the Riders begin the process of calling their host soul to this plane."

"This is usually done when the Chosen sleeps," Amaterasu interrupted.

"Yes," Tsukuyomi continued, "which is why it's referred to as a 'dream plane.' Normally, the Calling takes two to three nights, but that's with a willing participant. You know, one that sleeps…" here he glared at the daiyokai. "You don't sleep. You had to be brought here by force."

"This has taken considerably longer than it should have," Amaterasu complained. "You should be training with your newly released abilities. Instead, we're still trying to convince you to accept your role in the coming battles!"

Sesshomaru perked up a bit at the mention of battle and new abilities.

Touga sighed audibly at his son's sudden interest.

"Sesshomaru, you won't be able to fight without HER. Unless you stop being so damned hard headed, your soul won't be released from this prison. I'm sure the gods wouldn't mind allowing you to view the battles from here, since you show absolutely no sign of ever accepting the place in the world you've been guided to over multiple lifetimes," the spirit said to his son.

The bound daiyokai looked around at the three beings in the space with him. His father stared with hard eyes. The two gods simply nodded their heads, confirming everything Touga said.

Sesshomaru looked toward their feet and sighed.

"Father, you said only my soul is here…" he started. "What has happened to my body? Am I… Am I dead?"

Touga snorted. Tsukuyomi sighed.

Amaterasu gestured to a space to her side, where an image was coming into view. Sesshomaru watched with interest as the inside of a hut grew clearer. He could see a female sitting near the door and a younger female kneeling by a sleeping mat, her back to them blocking a covered body as she worked.

Sesshomaru looked at the goddess questioningly.

"That female by the door… Is that her?" he asked.

All three beings laughed at that, knowing which "her" he referred to.

Tsukuyomi sobered when he heard Sesshomaru's low growl.

"No, boy. That's Inari. She's one of us, only there to help your human daughter," he explained.

Touga spoke after. "She would rather kill you, son."

Amaterasu quickly spoke up. She could see things getting out of hand.

"Young one, Inari doesn't feel you are worthy of your soul's mate," she said with an amused tone. "Watch, Sesshomaru. She is not what you were looking for."

His eyes flicked back to the image.

The younger female had turned to the side. He smiled when he recognized Rin's profile. She was lightly wringing a small cloth before turning again to touch the body on the sleeping mat. A few seconds later, she leaned back to stand and Sesshomaru looked at his own face.

Confusion, concern, and anger warred on his face in the dream plane.

Tsukuyomi eased his concern. "You are merely unconscious."

They saw Inari's head turn toward the door as the mat swept aside. The newcomer spoke as Rin stepped toward him.

"Kaede sent some more broth," Inuyasha said softly. "We have to keep the bastard's body nourished, she says."

Rin just shook her head.

"Must you be like that, Inuyasha?" she asked the hanyou. "He is still your brother."

Inuyasha watched as a tear rolled down the young girl's cheek. He reached out with his empty hand to brush it away before wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a hug.

"Keh. He's gonna be fine, kid," Inuyasha mumbled against the top of her head. "Takes a whole hell of a lot more than this to kill him."

Rin sighed and leaned into the hug. "I know, but when will he wake up?"

"He cannot return to his body until he accepts what is to come," Inari spoke up. "This has already been explained, little one."

Rin rolled her eyes and took the broth from Inuyasha. As she sat beside Sesshomaru's still form to gently feed him the broth, they heard someone outside.

Inuyasha went outside to greet the new arrival. His voice could be heard through the door as they came closer.

A three-tailed kitsune male with auburn hair and emerald eyes walked inside, his eyes trained on Rin. He appeared to be about 15 to 16 in human years.

"Still out cold, huh?" the kitsune asked.

Rin carefully sat the bowl of broth down and ran into the waiting embrace of the young yokai.

She answered him with her own question. "Still no sign of Miss Kagome or Lady Kikyo, Shippo?"

Amaterasu touched the vision of the two young people and the image faded. She turned to Sesshomaru.

"Your inability to cooperate here and accept things as they come affects everyone, young pup," she told him.

"Even your brother has kept a vigil waiting for you to awaken, son," Touga said.

Sesshomaru's brow furrowed in thought.

"How long has it been?" he asked.

Tsukuyomi answered, "in the mortal realm, five weeks have passed."

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a/n: Sorry it's been a little bit, lovelies. Life happens... And this chapter was a complete pain in the butt! Stubborn dogs, indeed... Because I do have a few OC's in play in this story, I'll give a brief list at the end of the next chapter so no one gets confused on who's who, 'kay? Well, I mean... Aside from the obvious peeps, lol. I know it's a little slow moving... I promise, things are gonna get a little more "froggy" soon. :) And the explaination for Shippo's drastic change will come soon, too. Don't worry. The world in my head will make sense, eventually!

And please... If you see any editing errors... Keep in mind I'm self edited. I may miss something.


	9. 5 Weeks Ago?

"What's the point of running with all this weight, anyway?" Kagome muttered as she plopped on the grass with a huff.

James and Daniel waited nearby as Mike hoisted her back to her feet by her pack.

"Endurance training, kid. Keep going," Paul said as he, Elias, and Aya jogged by.

Daniel grinned as Kagome started walking.

"You need this. Basic PT," he reminded her as he flicked her ankle with a reiki whip. "Your spiritual training isn't the only thing you're behind on."

Kagome squeaked then started jogging again.

"Dammit. I forgot you're a priest…" she mumbled.

James spiked his yoki at her as she passed him.

She managed to dodge, but overcompensated for the weight in her pack and fell.

James laughed and reached to help her back up but she only glared at him.

Mike lifted her by the pack again as he chuckled. Paul and Aya just shook their heads.

"Kagome, you have to be ready for any thing at any time," James admonished. "This is all part of your training!"

She stared at him for a moment.

"You dragged me to Israel to learn Krav Maga," she growled, "and train with the IDF for 4 weeks. You run me for miles, every day, with an 80 pound pack. I start the morning with yoga and meditation and end the day with Jiu Jitsu or kendo. What the hell am I training for? None of you have ever explained that to me!"

Aya looked at Kagome as if she had grown a second head.

"Yes," she said, "we did. That first day. After you learned what you thought you knew about all of us. Do you seriously not remember?!"

*****Flashback, 5 weeks earlier*****

Mike, Aya, and James joined the others in the study. Kagome grinned wickedly at James and Daniel.

"I think I'm starting to understand…" she started. "You" she pointed at the Americans "are not what you look like!"

"Ya think?" Mike laughed. "Alright, priestess. You think you figured it all out… You already know what I am, so what about all the others?"

Kagome looked at Daniel. "You are hiding holy powers."

She turned to James and Paul. "And you two are yokai! But I'm not sure what kind, yet."

Mike looked at her expectantly. "…And?"

Kagome looked confused. "And, what?"

"What about the others, Kagome," Mike questioned. "Do you not realize what they are?"

Kagome tilted her head to the side, even more confused. "Huh?"

Mike pointed to Aya and Elias. "What are they? Or have you not gotten that far yet?"

"They're Soul Riders," Kagome stated. "They're here to help."

Mike shook his head. "No, Kagome."

Aya looked at Elias and nodded. Elias spoke up.

"Kagome," he started. "Mike means before we were called to serve the gods as Riders. We were yokai."

Aya continued. "Kagome, to be a Rider is a place of great honor— to be trusted so by the gods is not something taken lightly. It's also not something given very often. There are only 24 of us at any time— 12 pairs."

"If your soul's mate will ever stop fighting," Elias went on, "you two could very likely be among the next Riders chosen."

Kagome was still confused. She looked at Aya, fixated on the one thing she could make sense of.

"You're a yokai?" she asked. "Why can't I feel your aura? Either of you?"

Aya giggled. "We have them suppressed. You want us to show you?"

Kagome nodded enthusiastically.

Mike opened the study door to call out to Mio. "Babe, call Mei. Let her and Take know they're gonna feel a couple more daiyokai in a moment. Don't worry, they're the good guys!"

Kagome looked at Mike to ask who he was talking about, but before she could say anything she was forced to her knees by two immense, heavy auras. Kagome managed to look up at Aya and Elias and was stunned at what she saw.

Aya was surrounded by a phantom image of a large glimmering bird in shades of red, orange, and gold. Elias was surrounded by another phantom image, a large golden dog- similar in shape to a husky. As the phantom shapes faded, Kagome found herself able to stand again. She looked to the two Riders for explanation.

Aya met her eyes with a dazzling smile.

"You don't know how good it feels to stretch my wings, even this little bit!" she said breathlessly.

The group felt two more auras flare slightly in the room.

James sighed contentedly. "Gods, I know how you feel girl," he said. "Been close to a hundred years since I last spread my wings. How long has it been for you?"

Aya glanced at him then looked at Kagome.

"We've been in service to the gods for a little over two millennia."

Paul let out an impressed whistle.

Kagome's eyebrows met her hairline.

"Two… Millennia?" she asked, incredulous. "You're over two THOUSAND years old?!"

Elias chuckled. "Closer to four thousand, actually."

Kagome sat heavily in the chair she stood beside.

Aya laughed at her response. "Kags, Elias and I were Chosen before we became Riders. We were both close to 500 years old when our Calling came. I hated Elias when we first met…"

Elias cut her off. "You were no day at the beach yourself, love. Damned fire birds always torching our forests…"

"But there was always that spark between us."

"I'm so glad your bad jokes have improved over the years…"

Mike cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention before the two could devolve into further affectionate banter.

"Much as we all wanna hear your tragic love story, we need you to hit the high points before Mei and Take get here," he said.

"Fine," Elias said. "Kags, we were given the choice of service and continued existence in these forms after our purpose was fulfilled or the chance to start over with potential new mates. We chose continued existence with these souls, these abilities, these memories. When all is said and done, it is this experience that will be of greatest aid to you and your mate. Because of the way souls bond between Rider and Chosen, you will be able to call upon Aya's powers just as she is able to call upon yours."

Aya continued Elias' thought. "You, however… As the Shikon Miko, something that didn't exist before Midoriko, you have other abilities, yokai abilities. Even as a simple human, you had some yokai traits because of the jewel. When it merged with your soul four years ago, you became more than just a human, just a priestess. Even without being Called, you would have found your new abilities in time."

They heard a knock at the study door.

Mike opened the door to a severe looking couple. The female looked very much like Mio. The male was stern, with short black hair and light brown eyes, similar in stature to Elias.

"Mike, go deal with your humans before your mate kills them," the female said dryly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Mike leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "A pleasure as always, Mei, Take." and he left the room.


	10. 5 Weeks Ago? Part 2

After Mike closed the door Mei moved around the room silently assessing everyone, with a serious expression. She allowed her aura to fluctuate erratically as she passed by the two yokai to pause beside Daniel. "Still meditating daily?" she asked him.

He nodded.

When she moved on, he let out a light breath.

Satisfied with her inspection of the Americans, Mei moved on to Kagome and Aya.

She looked Aya in the eye and murmured "healing can be a pleasant experience, when you take the time to learn it properly. Take that time."

Kagome was slightly intimidated by the older woman, and she let it show.

"Relax, little one," Mei whispered. "We're here to assist in your training, too. You're going to need it."

At that moment, Mike came back into the study, followed by Mio.

"Mei, control yourself," Mio scolded. "You're scaring everyone. A powerful Miko like you shouldn't go around scaring the crap out of people."

Mei made a silly face at Kagome then rolled her eyes.

"Mio, I am fully in control!" she fussed. "I can't help it they don't know how to play!"

Mike laughed, easing the tension in the room slightly. "Mei, your idea of play is seriously warped!"

Take finally spoke, from his position near the door. "I believe we're here for training purposes rather than play, mate. We should discuss what will be needed." He looked to Kagome and Aya. "You have some combat experience, yes?"

Kagome nodded but remained thoughtfully silent, her eyes now trained on Take.

Finally, she spoke. "Your aura feels familiar… Do I know you from somewhere?"

His eyes widened slightly, but Mei spoke before he could. "I should hope his aura is familiar… We visit the Higurashi Shrine every chance we get!"

"Oh," Kagome said quietly.

"Now that that's out of the way, what kind of combat experience do you ladies have?" Mei asked, crossing her arms.

Aya looked around sheepishly before she responded. "My last battle was over three thousand years ago…"

She looked at Elias for guidance. He shifted behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, but didn't say anything.

"We've been attached and dormant since then," she finally said. "No chance for battle."

Kagome looked from Aya to Mei. "I helped defeat Naraku four years ago. I've travelled with my friends exterminating rogue demons and healing where needed since then," she told them.

Take snorted. Mei swiped at him and Elias growled something in Inu. The yokai in the room stiffened at his reminder.

Rather than saying anything in response, he moved to embrace Mei, in a similar fashion to Elias and Aya.

"Kagome," Mei started. "What kind of training do you have with your reiki?"

It was Kagome's turn to look sheepish. "I'm self taught," she said. "I can put up a protective barrier and shoot purification arrows. Oh, and I've been able to help others heal!"

Mei shook her head. "This won't do…" she looked at Mike. "You still have contacts overseas, right?"

Mike looked confused, "yeah… why?"

"Because holy power with limited training won't be any good if her scrawny butt gets taken out before she can use it," Mei said. Kagome squawked indignantly. "She needs to learn basic hand to hand before anything else. Something that will be easy to retain but highly effective."

"So what does that have to do with overseas contacts?" Mike asked.

Take spoke up against Mei's shoulder. "Mike… Where can you find one of the most effective fighting forces that doesn't eschew the complete training of women?"

Mike thought for a moment, but before he could say anything James was nearly bouncing in excitement with a response.

"Israel," he said quickly. "I still have contacts there. The girls wouldn't necessarily be able to train with their defense force, but I do know the primary discipline they train in is Krav Maga- it's something of a melange of styles, but the primary goal is to end the fight as quickly as possible."

Take grunted in response. Mei spoke in his stead. "So they need to go to Israel to be properly trained in Krav Maga, yes?"

Mike was quick to answer. "Not necessarily. I'm sure there are dojos here that teach it."

James immediately vetoed that. "No, the best place for them to train is in Israel, where the style was developed. One of my contacts is a master. I'm sure he would be willing to help."

"Now wait one damned minute, here," Kagome started. "I am not—"

She was quickly cut off by Aya. "You are, you will, and you will enjoy it." she said heatedly.

Kagome tried to argue, but was once again cut off by Aya. "Kagome, if I have to tie your ass up and fly you there myself, I will!"

Mei and Mio giggled at that, which had Kagome glaring at both of them.

"She will, you know…" Mei said. "Phoenix yokai don't respond well to being told no."

Elias snorted. "I don't think anyone thats told her no has actually survived to tell about it."

Take started to speak, but before he could there was a knock at the study door.

Mike and Mio were noticeably startled, as there was no one in the house that they knew of who could be on the other side of the door.

As he was closest, Take opened the door and visibly relaxed.

Tsukuyomi was on the other side.

Mei took the moon god's hand and dragged him into the study.

"To what do we owe the honor, Tsukuyomi?" Mio asked.

The moon god looked around the room. "Aya, Elias, you have about ten weeks before Kagome is to return. Training should start soon, if it is to be effective," he said.

At that moment, Bishamon popped in, startling everyone.

"More like eight, Tsuki," he said. "he shows mild signs of giving in."

The Japanese yokai were all a bit shocked… Well, except Take. He just smirked.

"Then it's settled. James, Daniel, and the two young ladies fly out for Israel in the morning," Take said. "Training will begin there, and will be taken further upon their return in 4 weeks."

Kagome was visibly unsettled by this. "Wait a minute!" she yelled. "Don't I get a say in this?!"

There was a chorus of variations of "no" in response from every other occupant of the room.

"What the hell is all this training for, then?" she questioned. "Will you at least tell me that?"

Tsukuyomi and Bishamon exchanged glances. Bishamon quietly excused himself to return to the dream plane to assist Amaterasu.

"Kagome," Tsukuyomi started. "You and your mate will—"

"I don't have a mate yet," Kagome huffed.

"Your future mate, then," Tsukuyomi corrected. "The two of you, along with your companions, will face an evil far greater than Naraku. You all must work together to defeat this evil, or it will cause the destruction of the world as you know it."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the moon god. "Isn't there always some world changing evil to defeat? Why is this one so different?"

"Simple, child. Every few millennia, our brother, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, tries to take control of this world with the help of whichever shinigami he has won over to his cause," a new voice stated.

Kagome looked confused at the new arrival. Tsukuyomi and the others were both relieved and concerned.

"Dearest sister," Tsukuyomi started. "If you're here, who's with him?"

*****end flashback*****

Kagome looked at Aya's feet. "How do I not remember that happening?" she mused.

"You were more focused on the training you were going through," Daniel told her.

"It was quite demanding, Kags," Aya reminded her. "I wasn't thinking too much about it, either."

James and Paul each gave a small shove with their yoki. "Time to get back to it, ladies." Paul said.

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a/n: And the rest of the flash back. That was more difficult than I thought it would be… I've been having a bit of a block lately, so I've been writing the bits that keep spinning in my head rather than the chapters that should actually happen before. Still hope you silent lot are enjoying my spin on things, even though I know I'm hitting a few things that have been done to death. Until next time…

And before I forget:

Cast of Original Characters

Aya— a Soul Rider, Kagome's "sister" and Phoenix yokai

Elias— Aya's mate, another Soul Rider, and Golden Inu

Mike— 4-tailed Kitsune, American Marine, General, and Aya's "dad"

Mio— Mike's human mate, Aya's "mom"

Mei— Mio's sister, Miko, assisting with Kagome's training

Take— Mei's mate. Assisting with Kagome's training.

Paul— American Marine, Cougar yokai, assisting with Kagome's training

Daniel— American Marine, human Priest, assisting with Kagome's training

James— American Army, Eagle yokai, assisting with Kagome's training

John and David— human, military, dismissed after initial altercation with Kagome.


	11. Recalled

"Five weeks," Sesshomaru mused. "How could it have been that long?"

Touga responded with a sigh. "You really have no clue how fast time passes when you're unconscious."

"But how did the kit age so quickly?"

"There have been many attacks in the area, since you've been…. indisposed," Tsukuyomi answered.

"He was hiding his true age from the others, Sesshoumaru," Amaterasu said. "Now he appears closer to his true age. He simply let go of the trauma that had been holding him back."

"But why?" Sesshomaru persisted.

"He let go of old pain to be better able to protect Rin, son," Touga told him.

"You may not agree, and you may not like it, but their souls are a good match…" Amaterasu stated. "Possibly even true soul mates, not something humans find very often, given their normally short lifespans."

Sesshomaru thought for a while. The gods felt this was a favorable sign. Touga felt their optimism was a bit premature.

"The kit said both mikos were missing…" Sesshomaru said. "I know the living miko returned to her home. Shouldn't the undead miko be with my half-wit half brother?"

Tsukuyomi looked to Amaterasu. She shrugged.

"Since she is not of the living," he started, "we cannot be sure. She could very well be a pawn or spy…"

Sesshomaru appeared startled by this.

"What do you mean by pawn or spy?" he asked. "Who would need to go to such measures? Would this be part of the 'great destiny' you had mentioned?"

Amaterasu looked to Touga to field that particular explanation, then disappeared from the dream plane.

Touga was not pleased by the sun goddess' sudden absence, nor was he happy to be the one trying to explain this mess to his son.

"My son, things are far from what they seem…" he started.

~~~~~with Kagome, one week later~~~~~

Kagome and Aya were sparring in the dojo, with the others calling out pointers and tips… But mostly being a distraction, since a battlefield is rarely quiet.

After a particularly distracting call from Daniel, which also involved a quick tip from a reiki whip, Kagome found herself pinned to the mat by Aya's knees. As the girls got up to reset for another round, Take strode in, Mei and Mio running at his heels. He went straight to Elias and spoke quietly. Everyone remained still, waiting to see what was going on.

Amaterasu popped in at the edge of the training area a moment later and walked to Kagome and Aya.

"Young one, you're not quite ready," she said. "You and your Rider will remain and continue training. I'll send Bishamon when it's time for your return to the past." She looked to Aya. "Rider, you may have a few moments with your mate. It's time for him to join his Chosen."

Elias was already by Aya's side, having been told this was coming. He led Aya outside the dojo so they could speak. He knew well that yokai ears would still be able to hear what he was about to say, but they would keep his confidence.

"Love, you know what this means…" he said.

"I do… but why bring me out here for this?" she asked.

"Because… There is something you must keep to yourself here." he responded. "If Kagome finds this out before the gods give their approval, everything we've worked for thus far will be forfeit. Do you understand, my heart?"

"Tell me already, Elias," she growled. "Geez… And you complain about my theatrics!"

"Aya… This is not theatrics. If you tell her, we lose everything we've worked for. Everything."

"Ok, fine!" she relented. "What's going on?"

"The fluffy bastard is finally giving in and accepting his part," Elias said. "But he's earlier than Bishamon predicted."

"I figured that, genius," Aya huffed. "What else?"

"Take said if his memory is accurate, about 4 more weeks will pass before Bishamon is sent to retrieve you," he said. "You two have a lot of work to do between now and then. And when you come back through the well, put your theatrics to good use… Make her stand out!"

Aya looked confused. "Take? What would he know about what happens then?"

"Well…" Elias was somewhat reluctant to answer. "He was there."

"What do you mean he was there?" She questioned. "Who is he?"

At that moment, Amaterasu stepped outside.

"Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it, Aya?" she laughed. "He isn't allowed to reveal that, just yet. I'm not pleased that Take told your mate, but I won't punish either of them. Nothing more is to be said on the matter, am I understood?"

Both Riders nodded in agreement.

"Time to go," the sun goddess said.

Elias and Aya shared a brief embrace. "See you soon, my heart." he told her, before he and the sun goddess disappeared.

Kagome felt Elias leave and came outside.

"Aya, are you ok?" she asked.

Aya nodded and stayed quiet for a moment. Then she looked at Kagome… Really looked at her.

"Kags, do you think you could call my fire?"

Now it was Kagome's turn to be confused. "What do you mean, call your fire?"

"Exactly what I said," Aya said in exasperation. "Do you think you could call my fire? I'm a Phoenix. One of my powers is to control fire. Do you think you could call my fire? Do you think you could use my powers?"

"I could try…" Kagome responded.

"No, you will do better than try," Mei said from the door. "From now until you're called back, you're going to double down on your training. Your control of your spiritual power still needs work, and calling on her powers will help with that as well."

Kagome started to argue, but was silenced quickly by a very strong burst of yoki.

"Who was that?" she asked, slightly fearful. "I've felt a yoki signature like that before… But never here. He can't be here. It's impossible…"

Mei and Aya shared a glance.

Aya mostly answered her question. "You will need to be able to equal that strength, if not be stronger." She started to go back inside the dojo. "We need to get back to work."

Kagome stood still, determined to get a straight answer.

"That didn't answer my question, Aya," she growled.

Mio stuck her head out the door. "Kagome, we need to get back to your training. Come on!"

"Not until Aya answers me- who did that yoki burst belong to?!" Kagome shouted. "And don't lie to me, I know who it felt like and there is no way in hell that's possible!"

Mei looked nervous. Mio just laughed. "Kagome, Mike is still a Kitsune. One thing he learned over the years is how to mimic others, even down to their yoki signature. He's quite adept…" she explained. "Now lets get back to it."

Distracted by that piece of information, Kagome calmed quite a bit. "Really? Kitsune can do that?" she asked.

"Yes," Mei answered her, shoving her toward the door. "Now lets go!"

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a/n: So… done to death. Not quite, but yeah. And my inner critic is going crazy, telling me how much this all sucks… But I know it can't really be that bad, since y'all are still reading, lol. I do still feel it's going slow, and I am still impatient with myself… When I read back over things by way of my phone, I almost forget I'm the one writing it! If you like, let me know… If you dislike… Still let me know. But please, let me know what it is you dislike so I can try to improve upon it! Thanks, lovelies!

Cast of Original Characters

Aya— a Soul Rider, Kagome's "sister" and Phoenix yokai

Elias— Aya's mate, another Soul Rider, and Golden Inu

Mike— 4-tailed Kitsune, American Marine, General, and Aya's "dad"

Mio— Mike's human mate, Aya's "mom"

Mei— Mio's sister, Miko, assisting with Kagome's training

Take— Mei's mate. Assisting with Kagome's training.

Paul— American Marine, Cougar yokai, assisting with Kagome's training

Daniel— American Marine, human Priest, assisting with Kagome's training

James— American Army, Eagle yokai, assisting with Kagome's training

John and David— human, military, dismissed after initial altercation with Kagome.


	12. Captured

She was surrounded by darkness, not even the dimmest light could reach her. Faintly, she could hear the trickle of water and what sounded like gentle drumming. The priestess tried to reach out with her reiki, but found herself stifled. Once again, she was unable to call upon her powers… She felt along her arm to the cold metal of shackles binding her wrists and ankles. From her bound wrists, she followed a chain to what she could only think of as a wall and tried to follow it as far as she was able. Not long after reaching what felt like a rounded edge, her chains pulled taut and she was unable to traverse further. This is as far as she made it, with each attempt in any direction.

She had tried to keep a measure of the time she had been in this darkness, to no avail. It was nearly impossible to keep track of time with no light to divide day from night. The priestess had also tried to keep track of how many times she had traced the nearby walls, but had quickly lost count of that, as well. She was unsure of meals, as they were never brought, nor did she feel thirst. This she found odd, but she did still sleep, so it wasn't impossible for her captors to have found a way to deal with those and other such necessities while she slept.

This brought the priestess to thoughts of her dreams. She spent her time in dreams mostly with her family and friends in the village. Sometimes, she dreamt of the times they would travel. More often, as of late, her dreams were of times spent with her sister and female traveling companions, who had quickly become as sisters to her, themselves. On rare occasions since her capture, her dreams were her own to command. The young priestess would find this to be one of those times…

As she drifted off to sleep, she didn't feel the oppressive aura that had been commanding her dreams, leading them, seeming to search out information through her memories. She opened her eyes to a bright white expanse of nothingness. In the distance she could see the forms of two males, one of whom she was quite familiar with. Before she could think, she started to run to the males. As she drew closer, she realized they were similar in appearance. Silence surrounded the males.

She called out as soon as she knew she would be heard.

"Brother!"

They turned to her, surprise in their eyes.

"How did you get here?!" one of the males demanded. She ignored him.

The priestess stumbled as she reached the male she had called out to. He stepped toward the priestess, breaking his bonds and catching her as she fell, even as she started to sob into his silks. He looked up to the other male before attempting to comfort the young female.

He let out a low, soothing rumble to try to calm the trembling miko. She gasped when she heard his growl, before burying her face in his shoulder for a moment.

As the priestess calmed, she took a deep breath and looked into the big Inu's face.

"Brother," she started. "You must tell my mate to stop looking for me." Her voice trembled at that particular thought and tears filled her eyes. "He has to stop looking for me, it's a trap. They want to turn him against you as they're trying to turn me!"

"Sesshomaru, who is this female?" Touga asked, as said female took a moment to try to calm her tears once more.

The Daiyokai ignored his father's question.

"Sister," he started, "where have you been? Before this one was trapped here, you and the other miko both disappeared… We know where she went, but where are you? You are family… That's why we search for you, still!"

"Brother, you MUST stop! You must make him stop! You will not be able to find me…" she gasped. "I have no idea where they've taken me. All I see is darkness, there is no light. I don't even know how long I've been here!"

As tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, Sesshomaru continued to try to comfort the female, gently brushing the tears from her cheeks.

"Kikyo, use your reiki. We will find you," he said.

She started crying even harder at this. "I can't!" she wailed. "I'm chained and cannot touch my powers!"

Touga was noticeably startled by what he learned. "InuYasha has a mate?" he said in wonder. "My youngest child has a mate?! And she's….. gone." he finished in horror.

Amaterasu appeared in the dream plane at that moment, taking in the sight of the younger Inu gently comforting the intruding female. She slowly approached the pair before speaking.

"Young Miko, come to me, please," she softly commanded.

Kikyo started to protest, but was pulled behind an oddly protective Sesshomaru.

He growled at the sun goddess. "You will not harm her."

The goddess shook her head. "I have no intention of harming her, pup. I only wish to see if I may help," she explained. "I need contact with her, otherwise it's a moot point."

Sesshomaru continued to growl at the goddess. Touga stepped behind his son, realizing that there was a pack bond with the young woman.

Kikyo looked up to the familiar looking male, only to find eyes very much like those of her mate looking at her. She reached for him as she asked curiously "who are you?"

Sesshomaru stopped growling at the sound of his pack sister's voice. As he turned to look at his father, the sun goddess stepped past him reaching for Kikyo.

Amaterasu hissed as her fingertips came into contact with Kikyo's wrist. She looked to the two Inus in warning.

"My brother has her physical body." she told them gravely. "It is not possible for us to retrieve her or release her powers."

As Amaterasu finished speaking, Tsukiyomi and Elias entered the dream plane.

"Who holds the female's body, sister?" Tsukiyomi questioned. "And why is she here?"

Amaterasu turned to the new arrivals. "Susanoo has her body, brother…" she started. "The mate of Inu no Taisho's youngest son is being held captive in the Underworld, and she wishes to escape."

Elias gasped, gaining the attention of the others. Sesshomaru growled menacingly as he caught sight of the newest occupant of the vast nothingness that made the dream plane.

Tsukiyomi sighed in exasperation. "Would you stop growling, pup?" he asked. "Shall I find new ways to bind your form, or will you behave? Learn something before you attack?" the moon god growled.

Sesshomaru instantly stopped growling, startled that he hadn't realized he was no longer bound. "When did you release the binding?" he asked Amaterasu.

Touga laughed at his son's confusion. "She didn't, son." he explained. "Your selfless need to comfort a pack mate released it. You really should behave like that more often… Would be good for you."

Sesshomaru started to swat at his father but stopped mid strike when he felt the gentle hand of his brother's mate on his shoulder. As he turned to her, he noticed she was starting to fade.

"What's happening?" he demanded of the two gods.

Kikyo answered before they could. "I'm waking up, brother. Please relay my message to Inuyasha, and give him my love."

He reached to hug the priestess saying "I promise, Sister."

As Kikyo's form continued to fade, the sun goddess called out to her, "Don't give up, little Miko. We will find a way."

With that, Kikyo disappeared from sight.

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A/N:

I'M ALIIIIIIIVVVEEEEEE! (insert maniacal laughter here)

Ok, mostly just not dead. Thought with that whole "new year, new me" tripe that gets tossed around by pretty much everyone this time of year, I should revisit my laptop and pound out a new chapter for you all... Maybe more, if my muse decides to play nice. Still have more things that happen in future chapters coming to me than current events. Dont be surprised if I start to skip the mundane bs and just bring that up in flashbacks as it becomes relevant, if it ever does. I'm still not quite right in the head after the summer, that will take quite a bit longer to happen, (if it ever does) so things may not flow as they did in earlier chapters, characters may be a bit more "out" than before. To this I say: get over it. Fan fiction is rarely ever true to the original, Mine wont be any different. Promise. If things feel a bit "fluffy" or filler-ish, keep in mind what Touga said in chapter 11... Things are not always as they seem. Yes, there will be fluff and fill, and most likely it will hold hints of foreshadowing. If you're clever enough to put it all together, please dont shout it out in the reviews. If you wanna flow along for the ride, I welcome the company. Just be sure you contribute to the refreshments, I cant feed all you ravenous beasts, lol.

I had my cast list, and am choosing to leave it out, this chapter. Future additions may or may not be researched, they may come straight from the nightmare that is my brain. I will do my best to keep things straight and clear. Clear as mud at the moment, I know... But give me time. Things will get clearer. Like I said before, Things are not always as they seem... My original characters are no different- they arent what they seem. Not even close. My OC's dont currently stand out, and there is a reason for this. And... Certain plot devices. They may seem like overdone crap, but they do serve a purpose! Those will also have a moment of explanation at a later time.

Als, I haven't really edited this, so please let me know if there are errors.


	13. Darkness into light

Opening her eyes once more to the darkness, Kikyo felt the cold metal of shackles at her wrists. As she struggled to her feet to once again venture as far as the chains would allow, she felt a presence in the darkness with her. It wasn't the same malevolent being that had been searching her memories. No, this presence was more maternal.

A faint glow caught Kikyo's attention near the edge of the space she was allowed to explore. She was able to vaguely make out a feminine form just outside the glow. Instinctively, Kikyo stopped moving. She tried to quiet harsh breathing, before realizing the sound wasn't coming from her. Before Kikyo could start to panic, she heard a soft snuffling sound rise above the rough sound of the other being's breath.

"Cease your worry, child," a whistling, whisper like voice said.

Curiosity finally winning out over her fear, Kikyo whispered "who are you?"

The snuffling rose over the harsh breathing again. The being moved closer, yet remained just out of clear view.

"I am the mother of creation, child," the being said in her whistling whisper.

"Izanami? But…" Kikyo started to question.

She was silenced quickly by the maternal shade. "Quiet, youngling. You must not mention my name, lest my errant son hear."

Kikyo was quick to rethink her questions, but her confusion remained. "Why are you here?" the priestess quietly asked.

After a moment's hesitation, Izanami answered. "You must not go there again."

Kikyo was startled, but tried to play it off. "Go where? I haven't gone anywhere… Kinda stuck here, where ever 'here' is, if you didn't notice."

The mother goddess wheezed her laughter. "You know very well where you went, and how." she said.

Kikyo opened her mouth to respond, but no words would come to her. Izanami was quick to fill the silence with the response to the unasked question.

"Susanoo must never find out that you were able to enter his siblings dream world." she whispered. "Should he learn of this, all of creation will be in danger… He plots to end his siblings, and thus end the natural rivalry between the three."

Kikyo scoffed. She didn't believe the other gods would ever be so stupid as to fall to the tricks of the underworld.

The soft glow quickly disappeared and Kikyo's fear returned.

"Well," a masculine voice started. "You're awake. Seems my minions didn't do their job, this time."

Kikyo sank to the floor in terror as the darkness around her lifted, revealing gray stone walls and not much more. She turned toward the voice as he spoke, and saw a tall male dressed in black robes with short black hair, pale skin, and black eyes that seemed to absorb the light with irises of shifting flames.

The male crouched in front of her, reaching out to trail an ice cold fingertip down her cheek.

"Do you know who I am, priestess?" he asked.

Kikyo shook her head as she tried to push herself into the wall to avoid his light touch.

He leaned closer and whispered "I am known as many things… In the Hindu culture, I am known as Yama." Kikyo tried to push herself further against the wall. "To the Greeks, Hades. I am Pluto to the Romans." The dark god stood and continued speaking louder, to accommodate his unwilling guest and her mortal ears. "In Egypt, I am called Osiris. In China, Yan Luo." He started to slowly walk around the stone chamber. "Christians know me as Lucifer*, they say I'm a fallen angel… Buddhists know me as Enma." here, he paused, looking at Kikyo's terrified face. "You, little one, will call me Susanoo. You will help me bring about the downfall of my siblings. I grow weary of the underworld, while they get to bask in the glow of creation!"

Kikyo gave him a skeptical look, but remained silent.

He kneeled in front of her shivering form again.

"You will be my window to their world, little priestess," he growled. "Whether you like it or not."

The evil being grabbed Kikyo by the hair and stood, dragging her up with him. Kikyo held on to his hand at the top of her head, in an attempt to lessen her pain. Her chains fell to the floor as she was dragged to another room. At the center of this room was a large reflecting pool. Susanoo tossed her toward the the pool. Kikyo slid across the rocky floor, barely stopping at the edge. As her fingertips touched the water, she saw images from her memories begin to appear on its surface. She watched in hidden terror as those memories became more recent, hearing again in her mind the words of Izanami. But the memories stopped just after her capture. Amidst the darkness that was the last of the memories Susanoo had plundered, a new scene came into view. One featuring her mate and a creature that wore her own face…

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Deep in the forest south of Edo, near the northern edge of the Southern territory, Inuyasha searched for his missing mate with the help of Miroku. They had been away from home for a few weeks now, with no sign of the missing priestess.

"Inuyasha, be reasonable. Please," Miroku begged his friend.

"Shut it, Miroku," the hanyou growled. "If it were Sango, you'd be doing everything in your power to find her…"

Miroku continued to walk beside Inuyasha, the rings of his shakujo jangling with each step.

"You're right," the monk conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that we haven't been home in weeks. How do you know Shippo and Kohaku haven't found her to the north?"

Inuyasha stopped walking and stared at the monk. "Shippo would have found us, and you know it," he said flatly.

"But…" Miroku started, as Inuyasha's ears started to twitch.

"Shhh… Shh." Inuyasha whispered. "Stop. There's something going on, here."

Miroku moved to take a step and Inuyasha clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"I said be still, dumbass," Inuyasha growled quietly. Before Miroku could say anything, Inuyasha had his other hand across the monk's mouth.

Miroku's eyes went wide as he heard what must have set the hanyou on alert. The sound was faint, like a woman crying in the distance… As Miroku realized what he was hearing, Inuyasha took off running. The monk followed as quickly as he could, silently cursing his friend for running off without thinking.

A few moments later, Miroku came to the edge of a small clearing. Kikyo leaned against a tree trunk, her knees pulled up against her chest. Inuyasha was kneeling beside her familiar form, but she shied away from his touch. As Miroku moved closer to the pair, he reached out to Kikyo with his reiki in a calming manner. When Miroku felt no response from her own holy power, he grew suspicious.

Quietly, he spoke. "Inuyasha, are you certain?" the monk questioned, intentionally vague.

"Of course I'm certain, you idiot!" Inuyasha snarled. "Open your damned eyes!"

Miroku raised his hands in a placating gesture and looked at the woman before them. She did appear to be the missing miko…

The monk addressed her with a soft voice, his tone similar to one that would be used with an injured animal or frightened child.

"Lady Kikyo, how did you come to be here?" he asked.

She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing. "It was so dark!" she gasped through her tears. "I was so scared! I didn't know where I was, and then I was here, and… OH!" She lunged at Inuyasha, wrapping her arms around his waist, nuzzling against his chest.

Inuyasha chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, one hand rubbing circles on her back, the other gently caressing the top of her head.

"It's alright, mate," he said softly. "I'll take care of you." Inuyasha looked at Miroku and smiled.

Miroku gave an uneasy smile in response. "Let's go home, my friend."

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In the dim light from the reflecting pool, Kikyo shed silent tears as the image faded from view. She couldn't believe her mate would fall for such a trick… She felt a soft breeze brush away her tears and almost missed the barely there whisper at her ear.

"All is not lost, youngling. Do not give up hope."

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A/N: I'm still here. This story will not remain unfinished, I assure you. Some rewrites have been made, but not enough of anything to really change previous chapters. Nothing more than a word here, a phrase there. There is no excuse for the length of my absence… However, there is a reasonable explanation: Depression. It has kicked my butt from one end of my imagination to the other… And that's a huge bit of territory to cover. We're coming up on the first anniversary of my dad's death, and the following week, my troll of a husband. This year has most definitely not been easy… Between losing the family I had left and the whole Covid mess, it's been a nightmare. The dark elements of this story have been something of a release for me, as they've taken on aspects of my own battles. Just like the battles in this story, my own are far from being won, still.

*My mental view of the death god, lord of the underworld, overall bad guy, whatever you wanna call him… Is loosely based on Tom Ellis' portrayal of Lucifer in the tv show. Accent and all. Every name that he gives for himself are the equivalents in their respective cultures.

Something to keep in mind- the story of Izanami and Izanagi has her form rotting when he loses his patience and tries to see his wife before she's been released from the underworld… I would think that's how she stays, so she keeps herself hidden when she does appear.

For sake of reference, and simply because Im not sure it's been mentioned before: in my head, Inari appears as Kitana from Mortal Kombat in a white sleeveless gi, and Bishamon looks like Raiden as he appears in MK: Annihilation after he gives up his power, but with black hair.

Until next time, my lovlies!


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